Mini driver Nobre hoping to join Loeb on WRC sidelines

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Nobre is running for the presidency of the Palmeiras Football Club in Sao Paulo, Brazil, having previously held the vice president's post for the team. And if he gets the No. 1 job, it means that he won't have time for any rallying for a couple of years—although he's promised to be back. That move would put Nobre on the WRC sidelines alongside nine-time series champion Sébastien Loeb, who has announced he likely will be cutting back his schedule to five events in 2013.

“I've put myself up for being president before, but this time I'm hoping I might get it,” Nobre said. “I feel quite optimistic, because football is my big passion. If I do get the job, it will be impossible to do any rallying as you have to be in the club [office] every day and at all the matches. Look at it this way: Even when I was vice president, people were complaining that I was going away from time to time to drive on some rallies. So you can imagine what it would be like if I were to become president.”

Palmeiras is the third-largest football club in Brazil, with approximately 16 million fans, more than three times the population of Finland. The president is elected for a two-year term, and can only be re-elected once.

“I think I would only do it for two years, and then I would definitely come back to rallying,” said Nobre. “And the only way I could do it for longer than four years would be by changing the constitution. Actually, I would technically be able to do that as president, but I don't think that it would be very fair…”

Loeb, who clinched his ninth series title in France on Sunday, will scale back his WRC involvement after almost a decade of dominance as he embarks on a possible future World Touring Car Championship campaign with current employer, Citroën.

Of his decision to go into semi-retirement, Loeb added, “One day I had to take this decision and if I did not take it this year I would be in the same situation next year. In the end, I've achieved more than I ever dreamed of and earned more money than I thought would ever be possible. So why continue?”

Loeb's five events are likely to be Monte Carlo, Sweden, Argentina, Germany and France.